WindSwept Narrows: #16 Anna Carson & Catherine Jenkins

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

  “Alright?”

  “Hmmm…Aaron sent them to me…I think Catherine got them from someone she spoke to this morning. Someone who took photos around where we lived when we were little,” she lifted her head, the smile tentative. “We only had the drawing I made of us when we were little. I don’t remember anyone…the parents…taking pictures of us ever.”

  “The Austin’s came to see me this morning,” he said after a long pause. He saw her body tense immediately, his throat clenching. “I told them you’re not ready, Anna. And that Aaron would be in touch when he was. I’m stalling it with the DNA testing.”

  “You lied to them.” She met the pale green eyes, one palm rising to brush the strands of hair from his glasses.

  “I did…you’re a corrupting woman…” he teased, leaning in and kissing her gently. “It dawned on me this morning…talking to Catherine…that I made a classic rookie mistake of believing in one side of a story, and I’m sorry about that, Anna.”

  “Would you do me a favor and see if the Ellison’s would agree to meet with us?” She laughed softly at the surprise on his face. “I know they used to live on the island north east of Seattle. Big house…fancy yard…”

  “Have you talked to Aaron about this?”

  “Not yet…but I think it’s time,” she gradually unfolded and offered her hand to him. “Dinner?”

  ****

  Aaron got up and carried plates into the kitchen when his phone sounded.

  “Business?” Catherine asked, carrying the wine glasses in and upturning them into the dishwasher.

  “It’s Anna,” he said simply, laughing at the look on her face. The texts didn’t have differentiating tones to them.

  “How do you know?” She asked, sinking back down at the table. She watched him take the phone from his pocket and slide it over the table to her without looking at it. She slid it open and turned it sideways, reading the text with a frown at him.

  “What’s she want?”

  “How’d you know it was her?”

  “I just knew,” he shrugged and moved to lean on the edge of his desk, staring at her board. “It’s some twin thing…”

  “She’s asked Carter to set up a lunch thing on Sunday with the Ellison’s and us. Us?” She repeated with a slight arch in her voice.

  “Hmm…you’re part of an ‘us’ now, Catherine. Scary, huh?” Aaron teased, his palm up for the phone when she walked over and sunk into the desk chair. He smiled into the violet eyes watching him. “You don’t have to, if it makes you uncomfortable.”

  “I don’t have fancy clothes for stuff like that,” she said with a slight grumble.

  Aaron laughed and leaned over, his palms framing her face seconds before he kissed her. “I’ve been thinking of kissing you all day….you’re adorable, Catherine Jenkins. And if you wanted to go with me dressed like you were this morning, I’d be just as proud to have you with me as if you were decked out in gems and a ball gown, princess.”

  Catherine felt her insides melt. “Tomorrow’s Friday…I’m sure I could find something…”

  “Raid Anna’s closet…she won’t mind,” he assured her with another kiss just because.

  “She told me that…” she watched him studying the board, her good leg bent with her foot on the chair, the other leg stretched out before her. “You don’t mind about the Ellison’s?”

  Aaron shrugged. “Not really. I kind of suspected it a few days ago. I think she’s finally convinced the worst they’re guilty of is being lousy grandparents. We didn’t know what to expect from them. They were nice enough to us. I can remember listening to them when we visited them. They knew something wasn’t right with the parents, but…I think they were afraid to find out what the truth was. The Christmas before we turned four we were at their house…the parents never came with us…Anna was decked out in this red velvet dress, white lace under it and dancing and twirling around the tree. There were other people there…friends of theirs, I guess…anyway, I heard them arguing about supporting the parents and her parents,” he looked over at Catherine. “Didn’t grasp then what it meant and didn’t really think about it much after that until now. Evidently the Ellison’s were supporting them. Which also explains why Anna’s worked so hard to keep the Austin’s away from us.”

  “Twin stuff is a little creepy…”

  “To us, it was just normal,” but he nodded. “We didn’t share it with others before for that reason. Kind of a sixth sense about our self-preservation.” He pushed up from the desk and tapped on the picture of Spencer. “He was a pedophile?”

  “Documented, convicted of minor infractions,” Catherine said with a sigh.

  “I heard arguments between him and the father,” Aaron knew his voice was flat, cold. “I’d see him or hear him before Anna would and I’d make her go under her headphones, turn the music up and put her in the far corner with her drawing pad by the side window until he was gone.”

  “She was worth more to him from the Ellison’s than whatever Spencer was offering, Aaron,” Catherine winced when he swore. “Yeah…where are the parents, Aaron?” She met the arched brow he turned toward her. “I want them eliminated as being involved and I can find them on my own…” She followed his eyes to the lower drawer and pulled it open, fingers tripping over file tabs to one simply labeled the parents. She pulled it free and laid it out on the desk.

  “And you think all this is connected to the guys on the break-way and the Austin’s suddenly looking for us?” Aaron had ten fingers dragging through his hair, his head shaking, his voice filled with exasperation. “It doesn’t make any kind of sense.” But he stared for a long minute at the line from Spencer to Barrow. “You don’t think he’s dead.”

  “You know…the story I got forming in my head right now would get me an hour with the department shrink,” she said with a dry laugh, laying the file over the other one she had on the desk. She shifted, tried not to wince while he was watching her and failed.

  “You’ve been on your feet most of the day,” he commented, turning from the board and taking both her hands in his, tugging her to stand. Her mouth opened and closed, her arms quickly wrapping around his neck when she found herself trying to not stare down.

  “You really should stop doing this…” But it wasn’t a strong protest. He stopped by the light switch, grinning when she tapped it out.

  “I’ll consider it…when you’re well enough to run,” he winked teasingly.

  “I’ve a doctor’s appointment in the morning,” she felt the bed beneath her and leaned back, watching him pull his shirt free.

  “Would you like me to come along?” This time he laughed deeply at the stunned expression on her face. “Breathe, Catherine. I can clear time to go with you. Maybe have an early lunch when it’s finished.”

  “I…”

  “Are we a couple, Catherine?” He left the shirt hanging open, moving to stand before her, stalking forward until she lay back, staring up at him.

  She put her arms up, palms on his face and pulling his mouth to hers. “I’ve never felt like this with anyone else. It’s like…scary…and nice…and yes…we are a couple.”

  “It’s a good feeling,” he agreed, enjoying the warm palms sliding over his chest and pushing the shirt off his shoulders. He rolled to his back, watching her sit up and pull her shirt over her head, nothing but a pair of deep green panties left. His body hardened when her hands moved to the button on his slacks, pushing them wide and the zipper out of the way before she slid her leg over him and sat looking down at him. Teasing him with those gorgeous eyes. Wanting him, he realized with a wild surge through his system.

  His nostrils flared at the sight of more creamy flesh. Her breasts, perky and full beckoned him to taste, the smoothness of her stomach down to the soft triangle of hair tempted him to touch and take.

  “Beautiful…” he murmured, five fingers taking a grip on the back of her neck and pulling her head down to kiss her over and over again. He thrust his hips upward
so his erection rubbed against her. She moaned huskily and pressed down on him, matching his rhythm, hungrily taking what he wanted to give; giving what he needed to take.

  Catherine was about to speak when he began to nuzzle her chest, burying his face into the low dip between her breasts.

  "Let me take care of you." He murmured. She felt him press into her once again, only this time he was intent on taking her. Roughly, his hands roamed over her body, exploring her breasts. His mouth latched onto one nipple, sucking on it until it hardened beneath his tongue and her breathing had become shallow.

  He waited while she reached to the nightstand, his groan loud as her hands fit the condom over him. Hunger flared in his eyes when he felt her pull the center of her panties out of the way, her body hot and wet for him.

  With his erection positioned at her wet entrance he pulled her down swiftly. Catherine cried out as he stretched her, filling her to the hilt. Lifting her, he slid almost all the way out and pulled her down again.

  The sensation of the suck and pull of their flesh made her gasp and moan as he quickened their pace. It was thrilling and rough and passionate and a slow heat began to build as she started to move with him.

  All at once, he rolled her beneath him and started pumping faster inside her. Her legs wrapped around his thick, hard waist, wanting to pull him closer. Her mind was a flurry of erotic images and the heat from his body. Then, without warning, everything shattered and her inner muscles quivered around his staff.

  Aaron found oblivion. White-hot light shot through him as he shuddered in her arms, releasing the pent up frustration and need into her warm, soft body. He couldn't have pulled out if he wanted to and at that moment, he could care less. Sated, he collapsed over her, breathing deeply of their musk.

  Minutes later, he rolled beside her, his mind contentedly dazed. Catherine's body was prettily flushed from their lovemaking and she'd dozed off, her head tilted to him when he returned to the bed, positioning them beneath the blankets with a contented sigh from them both.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Two loud groans filled the house shortly before six the next morning. Aaron sent a palm to the nightstand, growling when he remembered his phone was on the desk downstairs.

  “That’s not mine,” he murmured, sleep filled eyes coming alert as he stretched and watched her drag a pillow over her head. He laughed and brought a palm down on the behind at his side. “It’s yours, lieutenant. And I bet it’s downstairs, too…”

  “It’s Bobby…that’s the tone I set up for work…crap…” she threw the blankets back and sat perched on the edge of the bed, wobbling unsteadily when she thrust her feet to the floor. Completely forgetting the slice in her leg until it almost buckled her to the floor. “Damn it…”

  “Slow down…I’ll get it for you,” Aaron hastily pulled his slacks on from the pile on the floor and ran limberly down the stairs, tossing the phone to the bed before going into the bathroom.

  “Thanks!” She called out, checking her messages. She read through the text and pushed herself up at the same time he came out of the bathroom, going into the large closet and dropping his slacks to the floor. She just sighed and hobbled, snatching up her jeans and shirt. Ten minutes later, a quick shower, shiny teeth and she was grinding her feet into her boots, hastily pulling the zipper up on each one.

  “You’re off already?”

  Catherine looked up from the desk, leaning against the edge and stuffing things into her pack. She turned and put a large X over one of the names. “Got a dead body.”

  Aaron offered her a tall, cold glass of juice, his features grim but unreadable.

  “Be careful, Catherine.”

  “Always…” she leaned into him for a quick kiss. “You, too…please…”

  She accepted his silent nod and went as fast as she could toward the front door, keys jangling in her hands.

  Aaron slipped his earpiece on and tapped in Carter’s number. He heard the phone connect and then it got entertaining.

  “Hold that thought a minute, please…damn it, Anna! Give me those…I said you are not…”

  “I’m not a child! I can handle my own…”

  “Leo is driving you in my SUV today. And I know you’re not a child…damn it, give me those…” Carter made a wild grab, her keys safe in his hand, pale green eyes narrowed warningly.

  “Ask her if she wants you to spend your day being worried about her…and use the word please…it buckles her,” Aaron told him in the earpiece.

  “Anna…do you want me worried about you all day? Catherine said the attack on Aaron wasn’t random and you could be in line,” he met the flare of anger across the room. “Please…”

  “Fine…just fine…give me my pack,” she growled and would have snatched the pack from his hand if his palm hadn’t curled around her neck, his mouth moving softly over hers. “That’s just sneaky…”

  “Leo’s bringing the SUV out now. Thank you…”

  “I’ll talk to you later,” she said grudgingly, the door slamming behind her.

  “Hope you got good doors,” Aaron chuckled in his ear.

  “I’ll be checking the hinges,” Carter said dryly, his head shaking. “Thanks…I owe you.”

  “Where’s she going that she needs a driver?” Aaron asked curiously.

  “Olympia…some nurseries with things she needs for a couple projects she’s working on,” Carter worked at the knot in his tie. “What’d you need?”

  “Can you come over for a few minutes? I want your take on this board of information.”

  “Got coffee?”

  “Fresh.”

  “I’m on my way,” Carter told him, ending the call and going to collect his briefcase and keys.

  Aaron was staring at her case board when the chimes sounded. He opened the door and went straight to the kitchen. “Black?”

  “Yes, please…I swear, Anna…” he stopped, staring at the board and digesting the contents. “This is more detailed than what she showed me. Thanks…”

  “I don’t know how to keep her safe, either, Carter,” Aaron stood back, mug of coffee in-between his hands and feet braced barely a foot apart, his stare matching Carter’s.

  “Catherine’s explained this to you?”

  “Some…some I reasoned out or just plain knew.”

  “She’s trying not to let Anna know too much,” Carter exhaled deeply. “Especially about Spencer.”

  “She asked for the parents location this morning. Just one more thing to isolate out of the problem, she says. Hell, they’re in Montana, at least they had the sense to go straight when they were released from prison. Near as I can tell, they haven’t been in touch with either of their parents since they were taken away,” Aaron went back into the kitchen and filled his cup again.

  “I did the cursory run on them when I met the Austin’s. They claimed not to know where their daughter and son-in-law were,” Carter leaned back on the desk.

  “Did you believe them?”

  “No. I tend to not believe easily,” he admitted flatly. “I apologized to Anna last night…I fell into a rookie mistake with them, believing one side of a story.”

  “Shit…the damn thing is so convoluted…”

  “They wouldn’t have known I’d found you guys if Anna hadn’t come barreling into dinner that first night…” He stood up and moved to the open space, pacing to stand back and just look at all the words on the board. “And it never occurred to me to stop the press from the photos in the Sunday spread…”

  “I’ve had it pointed out to me often enough that temper and self-reliance aren’t the private domain of males,” Aaron said dryly. “Anna never drew the parents….or the Austin’s. I’ve been all through her journal enough times. I never knew why she drew some of the people she chose to…I’m not sure she did either, though.”

  “Where’d Catherine run off to?” Carter asked suddenly, watching Aaron walk to the board and tap the big X Catherine had placed there.

  “
Deceased previous drug guy…she said second out of the ones Anna drew in six months,” Aaron met the concerned look on his friend’s face. “Yeah…”

  “Someone’s cleaning up after themselves…erasing a past collection of errors,” Carter said softly.

  “That’s the theory.”

  “Might be time we got politically informed,” Carter said solemnly. Their eyes meeting with a quiet understanding.

  ****

  Catherine worked at not limping and growled a lot because it just plain wasn’t working. She was sure she wore a level off her teeth just to drop to her knees and lift the white card from the death frozen ham sized fist.

  “Just a little convenient…”

  “You got here just before they were going to take him in. They’re calling it death by bad association,” Bobby snorted, his head shaking. “You’re down to two, Cat.”

  “And this one had a card from Alice’s Garden. Not the gardener type, if you ask me,” She accepted the palm he held out, using his weight to climb to her feet. “Did you get to talk to the assigned murder cops?”

  “They took off quick. Nothing spectacular to waste their time over on this one,” Bobby walked with her back to the parked cars. “Can you warn her?”

  “I left a message. Admin says she’s on a buying trip in Olympia. Chatted with Aaron long enough to make sure that information isn’t shared with just any nosy person calling on the line,” she exhaled deeply. “It’s not…I got to go to this doctor appointment,” she tipped her wrist up. “We’ve been trying to get through red tape to Barrow for two days. Throw a couple rich business types into the mix and guess who gets a personal invite this afternoon for a chat?” She growled, reading the text and tossing her phone to the dash board.